I brought some Havana Club back from the duty free shop in Chile last month.

But I suppose that having it confiscated IS possible...

But they didn't even ask or look at what I had in my duty-free shop bag.

I could have had ten pounds of coke and an atom bomb in there and it would have been no problem.

Are you flying or driving?

I have driven across thee US/Canada border like 30 times, and have been searched twice. All the other times they just waved me through. IF you are searched, and IF you don't have more than 3 or 4 bottles, I don't think they'll notice or care.
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Iorana!

Actually, its not illegal to bring cuban cigars into the US for personal use. There is a limit on how many you can bring though, I don't know how many it is. I found this out at 4AM one morning when coming from Niagara Falls back into NY.

I have been dying to get my hands (and liver) on somem good Cuban rum. I live in California, so Mexico is a hop skip and a jump away, but I don't quite trust what I get doen there.

I have seen a couple different outfits that will ship Absinthe to the US (which is also technically illegal, although I haven't tried them yet) but so far I've seen none that will do this with Cuban rum. Does anyone know of any?

Don't worry about buying Cuban Rum in Mexico. The bottles should be sealed and stamped with Cuba's export sticker. I've never seen it looking dodgy down there. I brought several bottles back from Mexico and one from the UK with no trouble. I also blind taste-tested the UK and Mexico Havana Club 7 yr to double check and they were identical. (Unless the UK stuff was also a forgery, but I HIGHLY doubt that, especially since I bought it at Fortnum & Mason.)

Buying Cuban cigars in Mexico is a whole other story. Lots of fakes out there. Go to a reputable looking store. They're not that cheap, but it's worth it. When I bring Cuban cigars back to the US, I simply remove all the packaging and labels and put them in a ziplock bag, with a mini humidifier. When I was searched at Customs and they found the bag, I just said they were from the Dominican Republic. What the fuck do they know? It's not like they're going to take one out, sniff it, and say, "Ahhh..this comes from the south end of the Vuelta Abajo. You're busted!"

Tonnikan Jinn,
Its not a problem at all. My wife and I go down there all the time and bring back some Havana Club. The bottles are sealed. You have to be careful of prices though. Some liquor stores mark it way up, while others have it at reasonable prices. I highly recommend sprining for the 7-year old dark rum VERY TASTEY!!!

Yes, any Cuban stuff in quantities for personal use is okay. More than a box of cigars might get you in trouble. A few bottles of rum is not a problem.
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Ah thats good. I would be flying so I know it would be searched. Driving across is no problem, they have our license on file and we must be flagged as as 'decent folks' cause they just wave us through, but flying is another matter. Thanks for the advice!

I've never had any problem bringing Havana Club back from the UK. Just be sure to pack it well in your checked bag so it doesn't break.
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